Dawn of the Golden Dragonite

Chapter One

The roar shook the entire mountainside and Drake took Elda’s hand, leading her away from the platform as some rocks fell from the ceiling and landed where they’d just stood. He escorted her inside the castle foyer, where it was safe.

“Prince go,” Manny said, waving the prince away. “Help princess.”

“Protect her,” Drake instructed, looking down at the gnome, who was half his height. “Watch over Elda while I’m gone.”

“Elda safe.”

With a nod to the both of them, Drake spun and hurried across the platform, not slowing even when Brenna’s roaring began once again.

She’d just woken, so he could understand what she was going through.

She would be in dragonite form—which Elda always referred to as dragon form—and Brenna would not be able to shift to human form until her curse was broken.

He remembered what that was like and hoped to make it easier for his sister than it had been for him. The details of how he and his siblings had come to be cursed were still unknown, but the way the curse seemed to work was becoming clearer.

Passing by the cavern he’d been kept in until Elda had broken his own curse and gave him the ability to shift, he found the next cavern door and took a deep breath before opening it.

He could only imagine how enraged his sister would be. She’d be confused about the curse and probably very hungry. He knew the gnomes were preparing to remedy that. He just had to stall until they could.

Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and was met with a wide set of teeth as Brenna snapped her jaws at him. He just rolled his eyes up at her and waited for his sister to realize who he was.

What if she didn’t recognize him? He didn’t want to hurt her, but he knew Brenna had been the dramatic sort before and that trait might be even stronger now.

After a few moments of baring her teeth at him, she pulled her head back and shook it, as if she were fighting to remember. He knew what that was like also. Her memory would come back to her in pieces and not all of it would until she shifted. He’d worry about how to make that happen later.

She looked good. Healthy. Despite being frozen in time for centuries and then unfreezing but remaining asleep for the past ten years, the magic of the Divine Stone nearby had allowed her to age during sleep without needing nourishment.

Unlike in his dragonite form, which was a black dragon with sapphire blue eyes—matching his black hair and blue eyes in human form—his sister had different coloring.

She was not a fire dragon, like him. She was a storm dragon who breathed lightning instead.

Her scales were a shiny gold color, and her eyes were deep purple. She was unique, even among dragonites.

“Brenna, I’m glad to see you’re awake.” When Brenna huffed and glared down at him, he laughed. “There you are, little sister. I know. You’re angry.”

Brenna stomped her feet and her tail slammed the ground.

“I understand. You can’t shift. Can you nod and shake your head to speak with me?”

She angrily shook her head but that was answer enough.

“I’m sorry. I can’t fix it for you. I was stuck in dragonite form when I woke also.”

Brenna gave a short roar that ended with a whine. He felt his heart break for her. His sister had never really enjoyed being in her dragonite form and had spent most of her time in human form. She’d been a year younger than him before the curse had frozen their kingdom.

It had been ten years since the curse on Athera had begun to wear off and they had started to age again then. That would put Brenna at twenty-six years old now, since she’d been sixteen when the curse began.

He wondered if she would still look like the young woman she’d been before. His human form had grown and changed along with his dragonite form, even without being able to shift into it for the months he was stuck like Brenna was, roaring in anguish until the gnomes brought Elda to him.

“I have a lot to tell you,” Drake said, sighing. “If I let the gnomes bring you some food, can you focus long enough for me to explain everything?”

Brenna’s tongue peeked out and licked her top lip at the mention of food and Drake chuckled. Then he opened the door behind him. Nunu and Rasa shuffled in, each female gnome carrying a tray with food. One held a large stack of dried meat strips and the other with a mound of fruit.

As the gnomes took turns tossing food into Brenna’s open mouth, Drake started from the beginning, telling her about the curse somehow placed on Athera and their disappearance from the realm.

He mentioned how gnomes Manny and Nunu had brought the three of them—the royal children—to these caverns as the curse was spreading through Athera, which had saved them from the same fate as everyone else.

She whined when he told her how much time had passed since the curse had fallen on the kingdom and he assured her that there was still a chance her friends from before were alive.

After all, the castle, Rasa, and Chim had been unfrozen once his curse had broken.

It was possible the rest of the kingdom would be revealed as their curses broke also.

Feeling he was overwhelming her with all this information, Drake left his sister to rest, and he returned to the castle, finding Elda waiting for him by the front doors.

“How is she?” Elda asked, biting her lip. “Did you explain?”

“As much as I could remember. She’s not happy, but that’s to be expected.”

“I hate this for her.”

“I know. I do too. But she will need to be patient, something my sister was never good at before.”

“Should I go and stay with her?” Elda asked.

“Not tonight. It’s all too raw for her right now. She might rage for a few more days before she calms enough to introduce you to her, but I will. Soon. I promise.”

When Elda nodded and stepped into his arms, he instantly felt better. This curse was terrible, but he’d go through it all again if it meant he would hold this amazing woman in his arms in the end. His princess—now fiancé—made him forget about all the suffering from before.

He knew once Brenna’s curse was broken, she would agree also. Eventually.

~*~

Prince Kairon studied the chess board in front of him and sighed. She’d beat him again. Dammit. His sister was becoming a master at chess, something that seemed completely unlike the young woman who usually cared more about dresses and gloves than games of strategy and skill.

Yet, Kai had noticed his sister’s attention shift since their mother died last year.

It seemed Klarissa was much smarter than she’d ever led on.

He wondered if their father knew. Probably not, since King Crusis spent more time with his advisors than his children.

He’d never really put either of them above kingdom matters.

They were used to it and at least they’d had a doting mother. Until now.

“Again?” Klary asked, looking up with a suppressed grin.

“What’s the point?” Kai said, leaning back in his chair. “You’ll win again.”

“Chess must not be your game.”

“It used to be, but you’ve beat me at cards also. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were cheating.”

“No, I’m just that good.”

“I know and it’s obnoxious.”

Klary laughed then quickly closed her mouth when she spotted someone in the doorway.

When Kai looked over, he understood why.

Dorian, the Royal Mage’s stepson, must have just returned from whatever corner of the realm he’d run off to this time.

Dorian was a hunter of magical items, a job that took him all over, which was good because he usually caused trouble when he was home.

It was best when his work took him away from Nivea.

“I will see you at supper, Kai,” Klary said, standing and slipping out of the back parlor door.

“You’re back,” Kai said, resetting the chess board as Dorian stalked over, his dark gray wizard robes swaying as he walked.

“Just returned, actually,” Dorian said, taking Klary’s empty seat and propping his arm on the back of the chair.

“Find what you were looking for? What was it this time? A flower? Rare herb? Poison?”

“It was a stone and no, I ran into a complication.”

“Really?” Kai’s gaze snapped up in surprise. “You never fail to finish a job.”

“It’s not a failure,” Dorian hissed. “I just need something I didn’t have.”

“Oh. Like a tool or something?”

“No, I need you.”

“I’m sorry… what?” Kai’s mouth dropped open. This was new. Dorian never needed his assistance. He was afraid to even ask what the wizard wanted.

“I need your help.”

“I’m not a wizard, Dorian.”

“I know and that’s the exact reason why I need you.”

“I’m not following.”

“There is a stone inside the Blackfoot Mountains that I need to retrieve,” Dorian said, smoothly. “The only entrance to said mountain is through a cave that has a barrier over it to keep magical creatures out. I can’t enter.”

“But can’t you just brew a potion or something?” Kai asked, finishing with the chess board and leaning back in his seat. “I’m not traipsing through some mountains and entering a disgusting cave for you.”

“Potions won’t work in this case, and I don’t have time to find another way. It seems the magic is old, something I’ve never encountered before, and I cannot break through. And you will go and do this for me.”

Kai’s fists clenched under the table. It was just like Dorian to think he could waltz into someone else’s castle and order them around. It wasn’t much of a surprise, though. In all the time he’d known Dorain, Kai had never seen the mage fail at getting what he wanted. One way or another.

“Perhaps, you’ve forgotten your place here, Dorian,” Kai said, slowly. “I am the Prince of Nivea. Heir apparent to the throne and you’re just the stepson of the current Royal Mage. I don’t have to do anything you want.”

“You will if you want me to keep your secret,” the wizard said, pretending to adjust the rings on his fingers. “I’m sure the king would love to hear about the letters from those suitors for your sister that you’ve been hiding from him.”

“I swear, Dorian, if you even think—”

“I won’t say anything to anyone if you do as I ask. It’s simple really. I’ll teleport us to the cave and you’ll go inside, grab the stone, and come back out. Quick and easy.”

“Mmm,” Kai grunted in annoyance. “You’re a bastard.”

“Don’t I know it?” the wizard replied, smiling. “So we’re in agreement?”

Of course, Dorian would use the one thing against him that they both knew would work. Klarissa. A handful of lords from varying kingdoms had sent requests to the king for Klary’s hand in the past year and he’d chosen to intercept as many as he could.

Klary had been grieving her mother at the time.

She didn’t deserve to be sent away and their father hadn’t been in his right mind after losing his wife.

It was better for everyone if the letters disappeared and he’d burned them himself, but it was Dorian who had gotten the letters for him, bribing the messengers in order to do so.

Now, it seemed no good deed would go unpunished.

“I’ll do it under one condition,” Kai said.

“Which is?”

“You will owe me a favor that I can call in at any time. Without question. Anything I want. Agreed?”

Dorian stared at him for a moment then gave a short nod. Then he rose from his seat, calling over his shoulder, “We leave after supper. Wear black.”